Holy Grail Beautyy . . .

• Fragrance Free NO
• Cruelty Free NO
• Opaque squeeze tube
•  $34.95 AUD
• Gotu Kola/Centella
• Cicacream 
• Silicone

My skin is currently 38 years old, fair with freckles and oily/combination.

This product was sent to me by a beauty review company in Australia as long as I provide a comprehensive review after the month of use is over it is free.  It is available online at Priceline.

Beauty Guru

I used this for five weeks.  The Centella ingredient touted as the star of the cream is also known as Tiger Grass in Asia where it is a commonplace ingredient. It is also known as Gotu Kola in vitamin preparations.

The product is housed in a medium size opaque squeeze tube.  The cream is not thick nor is it watery.  I used it every night after applying my other products.  After using for five weeks, I did not detect any change in my skin.  It didn't harm my skin either.  It feels nice and luxurious but since I finished the trial my skin has not look like it misses the product.  It states on the packaging that this is suitable for sensitive skin, but it contains fragrance which is counter intuitive to sensitive or any skin type's well-being!

The uptake from this is that this product made no difference to my skin but nor did it hinder it. This product is meant to heal damaged skin and my skin is great in that regard due to the lack of action coming from the application of this product.  Or, there is not enough active ingredients inside the product to give a positive visual effect on my skin.  I am leaning more to the fact there is not as much active ingredient included in this product, although I do think my skin is pretty good!

Below is the ingredients and I have linked each ingredient to an online resource so you can click on what you are interested in and read about that ingredient.  None of the resources are affiliated with me and do not generate any benefit to me.  

I will give this an average rating.


Ingredients

782649 23 -  WATER • GLYCERIN • ISOHEXADECANE • DIMETHICONE • ISOPROPYL ISOSTEARATE • ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE • PROPYLENE GLYCOL • NYLON-12 • OCTYLDODECANOL • CETYL ALCOHOL • BEHENYL ALCOHOL • AMMONIUM POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE • ADENOSINE • C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN • CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT • CETEARYL ALCOHOL • CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE • DISODIUM EDTA • DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE • THYLHEXYLGLYCERIN • FAEX EXTRACT / YEAST EXTRACT • LAURETH-7 • MADECASSOSIDE • MYRISTIC ACID • PALMITIC ACID • PANTHENOL • PEG-100 STEARATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • POLYACRYLAMIDE • POLYETHYLENE • RETINYL PALMITATE • SALICYLOYL PHYTOSPHINGOSINE • STEARIC ACID • T-BUTYL ALCOHOL • TOCOPHEROL • TRIETHANOLAMINE • PARFUM . (F.I.L. 200541/1).

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L'Oreal Paris

• Cruelty Free NO
• Fragrance Free YES
• 30 mls/1 ounce
• Tube packaging
• Medium Coverage
• SPF 20
• 12 Shades

My skin type is oily/combination with freckles and is 38 years old.


I loved the Revlon BB Cream and it looks like it has been discontinued.  This foundation looks like it might be its replacement for that line.  However, there is not much in common between the two products.

Beauty Guru

Applied with brush

This foundation has a thick consistency and for my first venture with it I used an Eco Tools buffing brush.  I also used Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer.  I didn't moisturise first and this may have been a mistake.  It looks good on the cheeks, on areas of the chin and nose it adheres the least.In the middle of my forehead it looks like it gathers slightly looking thick, dry and cakey.

I did not powder my cheeks there is no way they need it and I applied my blush by Rimmellondon Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush and the powder applied perfectly.  It definitely wears a while and best on my cheeks which are the normal part of my oily/combination skin.



Applied with a BeautyBlender

Once again I primed with the Smashbox primer and my Drunk Elephant B Hydra Intensive Moisturiser, and I applied the foundation with the Beautyblender.  I feel it goes on a lot better than the brush.  It is still thick but it looks so much better with the sponge.  I applied blush and liquid highlighter on top and it worked beautifully.  After a few hours, the foundation had worn away on my chin and nose and had that thick cakey look on my forehead just like with the brush application.  The cheeks is where it looked best.  Under the eyes, if you are over 25 keep it well out of the way of your under eyes, because it is super drying and whatever you do, do not apply any powder there on top of it either!

Either way you apply it, it is not full coverage and the more you apply you will quickly become a dried cakey mess.  Also, the SPF coverage is lower than the BB Cream they had previously and I think that they should bring that SPF 20 to a 30 with this product.  



You can see above, my freckles are very visible and there is gathering around the upper lip line. Overall, I can't wear this foundation, I am disappointed the previous BB Cream has been removed and that this product is its replacement.  I was dedicated to buying that BB Cream but I won't be using this foundation again.

I do not recommend because it doesn't last more than two hours before wearing off and going cakey and generally being unflattering.

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Face photos of me by me; product photos from Ebay and Amazon.
Revlon

• Cruelty Free NO
• Fragrance Free NO
• 30 mls
• Pump bottle
• Expensive at $85 AUD

My skin is oily/combination, fair with freckles and 38 years old currently.


I have never used Clarins products before so this was a new experience for me with the brand.  I actually won this serum in an Instagram competition with Clarins Australia.

Beauty Guru

I had just finished my Lancome Genefique Sensitive Full Concentrate and this prize came at just the right time! I believe this is an updated incarnation of the original serum.  This version contains approximately 20 or so plant extracts

The bottle is a pump action one with two settings one for a small drop of product and the second setting for a larger drop of the product.  There is two separate products that are contained within the component which combine when you press the pump and then you mix the liquid with your finger before applying to the face.

I ended up using the larger setting and it lasted two months at least.  I used it once a day at nighttime on my face, neck, decolletage and tops of my hands.  It definitely feels nice when applying to the skin but I am undecided as to whether it made that much of an impact on my skin. 

 It does contain sodium hyaluronate so your skin will appear plumped up and there is ton of plant extracts including plants that are known skin irritants such as Perilla seed oil which is part of the mint family (if you want to know more about any of the ingredients listed just click on the name and you will be directed to an information source *not affiliated*).  It contains a large amount of fragrance and is listed way up in the first quarter of the ingredients list which is also not what you want in this type of skincare and with the price of this product it shouldn't be included.  Personally, I would rather it smell unappealing or of nothing at all. 

It also contains mineral oil which a lot of people have issue with on their skin and from a consumer ethics aspect.  It doesn't cause irritation on my skin but with the fragrance as well its not a good mix.  Some of the more proven beneficial ingredients such as Vitamin C are on the bottom of the list which means that their concentration in this serum is low to almost non existent.  Even with all the botanical extracts most of them are of average benefit and are only big in skin conditioning or are emollients and which would make this an expensive, fragranced, and light moisturiser. 

I do not recommend this product for purchase.  I didn't notice any particular changes that this serum did for me, and I have gone back to The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA which I saw an improvement in my skin again in a few days.  Interestingly, the Clarins serum also contains Matrixyl but at what percentage I do not know.  I do recommend trying The Ordinary's Matrixyl 10 % + HA instead for a fraction of the price.

This product could have been improved by removing the fragrant ingredients; the ones that are there purely for scent purposes, the mineral oil base, the Perilla seed and the Parsley extract in this serum is also known to have adverse topical applications.  For $85 AUD you don't need this product.


Ingredients

I love makeup, you love makeup and we love to apply ze makeup! But what about the tools we use to apply it with? I bet you hover around the brushes section with your mouse when online unsure if you are going to use and love this angled contour and blush brush that doubles as a highlight and nose contour extravaganza for $150 because its multi-purpose guys!! or wish-list that super expensive artist tool-set for that day you feel confident it won't be a waste of money after all and be relegated to the fail pile of money wasted we all have.  

Brush sets abound in natural bristles and synthetic, from the Youtube influencer ubiquitous Morphe Cosmetics brushes to the workmanship of a beautifully crafted brush or 'fude' by Japanese cosmetic brush maker Hakuhodo   whose brushes look to be made from strands of gossamer fine hairs from a mythical beast and weighty burnished red cinnabar handles.

Should you buy a full brush set? Or build slowly; brush by brush, by need? Go cheap and cheerful with no serious fiscal commitment or go full $600 Artis oval brushes?

Well I am here to help you with the aid of the product review specialists at Reviews.com with their awesome, thorough, up to the minute life-saving cosmetic brush buyers guide The Best Makeup Brushes Guide for 2017 to help us all out when we are just bamboozled by the beauty company offerings that tempt us all.

Reviews.com very kindly have created this guide for all makeup lovers to use at will and help you narrow down what you really need to buy! Print it out and keep in your bag for when you go shopping or save it to your desktop or phone for easy access when online shopping.

The guide is a resource I will be keeping on hand to refer to the next time I see a brush sale on!

Thank-you Reviews.com!

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Reviews.com

• Cruelty Free YES
• Fragrance Free NO
• 52 mls in each pack
• For dry, coarse, bleached, coloured and damaged hair

I have had bleached blonde hair since I was 14 and have been platinum blonde for ten years and then changed to a more natural balyalage half head of foils.  Apart from Olaplex which everyone knows is amazing; this is my must have for dry/coarse, bleached or coloured hair.

Beauty Guru

One day in the chemist i happened upon these hair mask packs for $5.95 each.  The first one I tried was Keratin Replenish and I fell in LOVE.  I have now been using these masks for the whole of 2017. There is many more varieties of the hair mask.

• Keratin Replenish Masque
• Extremely Damaged Hair Intense Protein Treatment
• Henna, Placenta and Vitamin E Intense Protein Treatment
• Macadamia Nut Oil Nourishing Masque Hair Treatment 52 mls
• Shea Butter Moisture Masque Treatment
• Scalp cleansing Peppermint
• Tropical Coconut Oil Frizz Taming Hair Treatment
• Intense Protein Treatment For Coloured Hair

I have tried all  of these bar three, the last three in the list actually.  I aim to though! I do believe you can get full size products as well as the individual use sachets. I kind of like the individual sachets because it is portion controlled for your hair!

Because I have bleached hair, I use a purple tone shampoo every time I wash my hair and then I use one of these sachets.  Every time.  It keeps my blonde hair strong and soft.

I highly recommend!

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Shop Hi PRO Pac

Mecca Cosmetica's second line of in-house cosmetics, Mecca Max, have produced a series of  "duos" of complimentary colours for your eyes with a powder shadow that is matte and a shimmer cream topcoat.  I bought two, one being Tuscan Sun  red powder and orange shimmer and a muted pale green with green/gold shimmer called Armed Forces.

Beauty Guru

Tuscan Sun is a strawberry red shadow and amber orange top coat.  I applied the product in the usual manner with primer and powder base.  The powder has pretty good pigmentation.  The cream I applied with a brush or finger both work just as well.  Immediately you see a great effect.  But within half an hour the cream started wearing off and became so patchy and also started to remove the shadow underneath!

The first time I tried the duo I did with bare lids and same result.  I have to say the cream element is a hard fail.  I need to wear the powder without the cream top and see how that wears.  These duos are $16 each.  It is such a shame as otherwise these could have been brilliant as they have some great combos.


The powder in Tuscan Sun is a beautiful strawberry but on closer inspection in this photo you can see that the pigment is not fully opaque.  Same with the topcoat.






As you can see above the product initially looks good, but after half an hour with no eye primer applied the product starts to break up and slide everywhere leaving patches of no colour!

With the second colour, Armed Forces, I used eyeshadow primer and cream powder to seal it.  I then applied the powder first.

Then the top coat.
This was the result after half an hour again.
Swatches of the powder and topcoat with fingers and cream brush swatches.


These duos are not drugstore prices at approx $16 AUD each.  I think the pictures speak for themselves.

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Images by me of me.
Mecca Max

I subscribe to a skincare website and saw this article that is AWESOME!

Even though I still have products that have been tested on animals, I aim to always purchase cruelty-free products where-ever possible and to find alternatives to the products as much as I can.  My aim in the long term is to have all cruelty free makeup. 

Please read this article and share on behalf of all the beautiful animals in our world. European Parliament Demands Global Ban on Animal Testing

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Special Chem

• Cruelty Free NO
• Fragrance Free YES
• Four colours available
• Very inexpensive
• Travel friendly 

My first encounter with RimmelLondon blush was in the Kate Moss trio palette with blusher in Coral Glow, bronzer and illuminater.  That blusher was Coral and it was wonderful.

Beauty Guru


I saw that this little blusher was on sale at the supermarket and thus it was around $4.69 so half price.
The colour is a soft pink rose it also has a sheer quality to it and applies like a dream.  You can build it up very easily.  I believe there is two other colours available, one called Pink Live a bright pink, Santa Rose which is similar to a dusty rose, Bronze which is self explanatory and Pink Rose which is a soft pink.  The page on Boots website in the UK shows all four colours but the colours are very vibrant and there is no way that Pink Rose is that loud.  So take those colours with a grain of salt.  Someone turned the Photoshop too high!



This is a legit beauty bargain you cannot go wrong with.  Definitely recommended.

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RimmelLondon Australia

• Cruelty free NO
• Expensive, two sizes available
• Tube component
• Fragrance free NO

My skin type is oily/combination which is fair with freckling and currently 38 years old.

This is the first and only product I have tried by StriVectin and  I have used it for  7 months as I bought the biggest size available. 

Beauty Guru

I had received a deluxe size sample back in late December 2016 with another beauty product purchase in store at David Jones *a local high end department store*.  I started using it and after about two weeks I noticed a difference in my skin.  It is expensive even at the smaller size but because I was impressed by the results from the sample size I splashed out and bought the largest version.

If you haven't heard of this brand, it found fame around ten years ago stating it was a needle free version of Botox.  It received a lot of hype because of this statement which ultimately proved untrue.  There is nothing like Botox except Botox which is an invasive skin injectable.  Until technology can replicate the muscle movement restricting effects of Botox in a topical formulation then that is the state of affairs.

Since then it has been reformulated three times and the Botox claim has been dropped (which never had scientific research to back up such a strong statement ever).  This version has a whole host of beneficial ingredients to provide moisture and anti ageing benefits to your skin.  It is not fragrance free there is a scent there and it is from ingredients cinnamic and ginger.  It is not obnoxious though.

New advances in skincare science have revealed that Collagen III, or ‘youth collagen’, is critical to baby soft, smooth, skin. StriVectin SD Advanced is the first product to harness technology to target ‘youth collagen’ for impressive anti-wrinkle clinical results in just 15 days. Your skin will show a dramatic difference in the appearance of wrinkles with a skin surface that looks visibly plumped, renewed and revitalized. Statement from the StriVectin website on how this product performs.


I have to agree that with consistent use you will see a difference in two weeks.  I only used it at night or in the morning but I did not apply it twice a day but you absolutely can.  The majority of ingredients are great but some are known skin irritants for some people.

The reality is that without surgical or invasive techniques there are some things that cannot be altered with a topical product.  One of those is stretch marks and the other is deep formed wrinkles that stay in place no matter what your facial movements are.

The product is a white cream that is of a medium thickness to it.  You will smell the fragrance and cinnamic and ginger, it is not an obnoxious smell and after a while I no longer noticed it.  It comes in a squeeze tube.  It is not oily at all either.

I won't be repurchasing this moisturiser because I have found that using a good serum with a very hydrating moisturiser works better for me when I consider overall performance, cost, fragrance free status and cruelty free status.

I do recommend this product if you don't mind the cost, lack of cruelty free status and fragrance free status then it is a good well rounded moisturiser.  Ingredients that are known to potentially cause irritation to the skin are highlighted in bold type. The ingredients list below has hyperlinks to click on should you wish to learn more about that individual ingredient and learn about what really constitutes an expensive moisturiser on today's market. 

Ingredients List:

Water, Glycerin, Myristyl Nicotinate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Isocetyl Stearate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Resveratrol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Cyathea Medullaris Leaf Extract, Phaseolus Lunatus (Green Bean) Seed Extract, Rutin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Laureth-7, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cinnamic Acid, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Stearic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Parfum (Fragrance), Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxide), Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin

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Strivectin

• Cruelty free NO
• Fragrance free YES
• Sensitive skin friendly
• Removes Waterproof mascara
• Very cheap $2 each for 30 wipes

I am working my way through the facial wipes on the market to find the best and cheapest in Australia! This is my third review on facial wipe brands that are available in Perth, Western Australia.  Previous reviews are on Simple Micellar Cleansing Wipes Pk 25 and Nivea Pure & Natural Refreshing Cleansing Wipes All Skin Types Bio Argan Oil Bio Aloe Vera and you can read them by pressing the links.

Beauty Guru

This product reminds me a lot of the Simple micellar wipes although the ingredients in the Simple wipes are a little more gentler on the skin.  These wipes are cheaper and effective although if you are wiping your eyes in the same area it may feel a little, for lack of a better description uncomfortable or a slightly sensitized feeling. I suspect the castor oil is the main removal agent of the waterproof product that it says it can remove. 

Overall I recommend these wipes as they definitely work and are very cheap.

Ingredients

Aqua, Glycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Bis-PEG/PPG-20/20 Dimethicone, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid,Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Peg35 Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate

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Image taken by me.
Coles Supermarkets
 

• Fragrance Free
• Cruelty Free
• Inexpensive
• Dropper component
• 30 mls
• My skin is now 38 years old, fair with some freckling and oily/combination.

This is my second product from The Ordinary to try for the first time and I have been using it for a month.  I feel that using a skincare product for a month or two really helps with giving a product review.  The formula is created by a French company by the name of Sederma which The Ordinary  Deciem are not affiliated with.

Beauty Guru

This serum is clear and in a dropper bottle.  It has a similar viscous quality to it but slightly more thinner than the The Ordinary Buffet serum which had a more raw egg white consistency.  This serum is easily spreadable across the face and neck and I put it on the top of my hands also.  You are advised to use it morning and night and it is specifically made for fine lines and wrinkles.  I have to tell you it did not take too long to work either, about a week as I remember thinking my God that was quicker than the Buffet serum!.  It truly was actually faster than the The Ordinary Buffet serum and it really impressed me; it gave an incredibly comparable effect to the Lancome Genefique Sensitive Concentrate serum which is a huge price drop for the consumer.  I used all the same skincare to elicit a true result.

*This product is created to address the static and dynamic wrinkles on our faces.  The dynamic wrinkles are those that move when we move our face via expressions.  So when you smile, laugh or frown.  Static wrinkles are wrinkles that don't alter with movement almost like they are "set" in-sit u.  I feel it gives the whole face just a whole youthful look.

My only gripe with this product is the dropper.  You inevitably get some on the bottle and surface the product sits on after a while.  It is a little sticky when this happens but not a deal breaker.  I am happy to put up with an issue like this for the wonderful product it contains within!

I definitely recommend Ten out of Ten!  

This paragraph is an excerpt from The Ordinary's website - "This highly-effective composition has been shown to reduce the look of *static and *dynamic wrinkles. This formula contains two generations of Matrixyl, Matrixyl 3000 and Matrixyl Synthe'6, at a combined concentration of 10% by weight in a specialized Hyaluronic Acid delivery system. The peptide in Matrixyl 3000 is palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and the peptide in Matrixyl Synthe'6 is palmitoyl tripeptide-38."



Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

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Image by me.
Deciem The Ordinary 

Fenty Beauty is HERE! Some awesome news is that her foundation range contains 40 shades! Above is what the product container looks like.





The above is called Match Stix, with highlight, concealer and contour.  The highlighter is sold individually but the concealer and contour come together as a duo.  However, you can get a trio in one set of skin tone suitable colours.




This is a lip gloss that Rhianna chose herself as a universal shade. 

I just love the aesthetic of Fenty Beauty product components and look forward to hearing first reviews of these products.

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Images via Cosmopolitan.com.au

Just when you thought you had a hard time leaving the ASOS website, now there is yet another reason to get entranced and hand over your ATM card because the shopping mecca is now releasing their own range of beauty products and the kicker is that everything is under $25 AUD!


There is 16 pieces in the range right now and coming soon January 2018 will be a body product drop which is perfect for us Aussies as it is Summer time, you can bet there will be some gleaming and glowing products for the skin I just know it!

The range is available September 20 online. 

How cute is the packaging too btw?

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Image via MarieClaire.com.au

Cruelty-free: NO
Waterproof: NO


Maybelline is well known for affordable mascaras that are good quality and I was looking forward to trying this out.

Beauty Guru

This brush is only bristled on one side and the bristles are plastic, short and spiky, ranging from longer spikes to smaller ones.  The formula is a good mix of wet and dry.  The idea behind Push Up Angel mascara is that the lashes on the outer edge look fluttery.   It is difficult to get my lashes coated evenly irrespective of focusing on the outer edge lashes.




The mascara brush does not fit my eye ( I have almond shaped eyes) so I have to coat my lashes in two separate goes and repeat.  This means I can get mascara on my eyelid.  Whether I focus on the outer edge lashes or not I did not feel that this mascara was anything special. It does not lengthen or volumise but it is quite defining.  The black could be blacker as I have light brown blond tip lashes so the intensity of the black pigment is important to me. The packaging is fine no troublesome components.



As you can see I got mascara near the corner of my eye from trying to coat my lashes evenly.


I wish this mascara was better and I may have to use it a bit more and throw it out.

It is definitely a not recommended UNLESS you already have thick and long lashes, this will feather them out well I think.

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Maybelline

• Cruelty-free NO
• Fragrance free NO
• Inexpensive
• Jar Packaging NO
• Opaque packaging  with Pump YES
• 29 mls
• SPF YES

I had already been using the Neutrogena Anti Wrinkle Ageless Intensives Night Cream which contains retinol for quite some time but I wanted to try other retinol night time moisturiser's by any brand preferably that is not too expensive, readily available and cruelty-free as I wish to transfer all of my products makeup and skincare to cruelty-free.  I saw this product at my local supermarket although I believe it has been available overseas for quite a long time already, and as I am in Australia we usually have many overseas products available very late after they have been released in their country of origin unless it's purchased online and in some cases for exorbitant prices. 

Beauty Guru

This product claims that you should see change very quickly in seven days I believe.  And let me tell you I got results within five days! I had an area above my left eyebrow that was not looking good at all and unrelated but I had been using Olay Regenerist Microsculpting UV Cream moisturiser SPF 30, but it does not sit well under my other liquid face products.  So I decided to try this out (after I bought it I did not use it immediately). After a week or so I noticed that area above my left brow is plump and youthful looking! Nothing else until that area showed up has worked on making the area look or physically change until this Neutrogena cream.  The Neutrogena product is also a good foundation product primer as it is not disturbed or causes pilling etc when products are applied on top.

The bottle is opaque so it keeps the active ingredients safe from deterioation, and it is a pump with a twist you turn to stop the pump mechanism working.  It is 29mls white lotion that is quite thin.

This product unfortunately is not perfect as it does contain fragrance which is similar to a sunscreen smell.  I am not sure if that is to blend in with the sunscreen ingredients or what the fragrance is included for.  It would be amazing if it was fragrance free.  I don't feel wholly comfortable using a product on a daily basis with fragrance especially when it is listed in the just out of the middle spot of the ingredients list.   As it is the highest concentration of ingredients is in the beginning of the list and the least naturally at the end.  I have finished the product and still have the night time version which I bought few months later and will find a different product that is not full of fragrance. I have since bought the night time version of the daily product as I have now finished the daytime product.  Once I have finished that product I will need to have a replacement retinol product.

I recommend this if you don't mind fragrance in the product, if you do, I don't.

Active ingredients 

Water, Dimethicone, Homosalate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Octisalate, Glycerin, Avobenzone, Cetyl Alcohol, Octocrylene, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Steareth-21, Trisiloxane, Nylon-12, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Retinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf ExtractPolysorbate 20, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide.

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Image via google Chemist Warehouse.
Neutrogena

As some of you may know now, NARS is now going to be sold in China and we all know what that means: Animal testing.  If you supported NARS before for their animal cruelty status then you would probably want to not purchase from them anymore.  They say that they are a global brand and that they need to abide by the country that they are sold in, laws.  I guess that is a euphemism for greed.

See here for more.

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I am always on the look out for different vitamin C skin serums after the great visible results I got from the Answers From Nature Peptide C Serum formula.  Keep reading to see how this Drunk Elephant product turns out!

Storytime

My skin type is - Oily/Combination, 37 years old, fair, easily burned with freckles.

This product does have a orange colour due to the Vitamin C and not because its expired.  It does have a vague aroma of oranges but not a sweet smell, its more medicinal.  It does linger somewhat though.  You can apply it by itself or mixed with your preferred facial oil (I use it with SwisseSkincare Argan Face Oil ) *the product states that for extra hydration you can combine this product with any other Drunk Elephant formula product and especially their own marula oil, this product also already contains marula oil*.  Using this serum creates skin that is plumper and gives a lovely fresh glow to the skin when you start using it.  The formula is unique in that it has a reservoir  action to keep the active ingredients on your skin for longer.  So I use it on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights to cover me for the week, as the rest of the week I use my beloved Derma e Overnight Peel with AHA. Now, it is recommended to be used during the day but I feel it's just fine to use at night time.  It is a sticky formula but mixed with any of the well known face oils argan, rosehip etc diminishes the stickiness and the vitamin smell.  I apply it on my face, neck, decolletage and tops of my hands.  I start with damp skin as this is best for the serum to absorb I only  the C serum on the weekend otherwise my routine starts off slightly differently.

Beauty Guru

The ingredients listed below really clear up the skin surface as vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant.  With continued and consistent use it will improve your skin tone, lighten and potentially fade pimple or other skin scarring *obviously within reason, please consult a dermatologist for more persistent scarring*, adding it to your regime will help stimulate collagen production and collagen is part of your skin's structure to prevent wrinkling and sagging.  Vitamin C also assists in thickening the skins epidermis with continued use which helps with protecting your skin from the sun but you still have to wear sunscreen 30+! No getting around that!  I have had freckles fade to nothing, melasma disappear, and I now have the most consistent complexion tone from having including and regularly using vitamin c products.  I definitely recommend finding one that suits your skin type as not all forms of vitamin C are as effective and can work differently depending on amount of product and other ingredients included as well as for different skin types.  This serum has the most common form of vitamin C which is Ascorbic Acid.  I am going to create a separate post on different vitamin C formulations as I have tried three different products with at least two different formulations.



This is a pricey product, especially in Australia, but I love what this does for my skin! I will continue to try other vitamin C products but this one is a holy grail status product for me and my skin type.  I do believe the products I currently use in my skincare regime for day and night have given me my most clearest and softest skin.  Check out my review on the second vitamin C product I ever tried for two and a half months in total in time by Serumtologie C Serum .

Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Laureth-23, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Fruit Ferment Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica (Indian Gooseberry) Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopherol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tetrahydro Curcuminoids, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glycine, Sucrose, Maltodextrin, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan gum, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60.

Free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates and fragrance. Non-comedogenic.

I definitely recommend this product!

Thank-you for reading.
Not sponsored
Image by me.
Drunk Elephant

Storytime

I haven't stayed loyal to any face cleansing wipes thus far, and tend to buy the ones that are on sale.  I decided to try this brand of wipes by Nivea and let you all know how these wipes worked out!

Beauty Guru

These wipes contain argan oil and aloe vera.  Its made for all types of skin.  Basically, yes it does remove cosmetic products from your face but when I used it on my eyes it stung! I tried it again and again it stung! So now I avoid my eye area completely because of something contained within the wipes.  The wipes are for sensitive skin as well as stated on the packet twice.  My skin is oily and can usually handle more chemicals or substances than sensitive skin but this is a no go for me.  The stinging goes away as long as I don't keep using it near my eyes.  So I won't be buying it again because I need the wipe to remove everything before I cleanse properly.  What baffles me is that Nivea states that this is suitable for sensitive skin as well as all skin types and is compatible with dermatologists tests yet it contains multiple high irritant ingredients.  So no wonder my eyes sting so much! I would say the majority of the ingredients are irritants.  Why Nivea?

Ingredients

• Water
• Isopropyl Stearate
• Argan Oil
• Aloe Vera
• Tocopherol
• Glycerin
• VP/Hexadecene Copolymer
• Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyle Acrylate Crosspolymer
• Ethylhexylglycerin
• Phenoxyethanol
• Methylparaben
• Linalool
• Limonene
• Citronellol
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Butylphenyl Methylpropional
• Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
• Geraniol
• Parfum  

I cannot recommend this product because it stings my eyes badly and the false advertising that it is safe for sensitive skin and all skin types is simply not true.



Thank-you for reading.
Not sponsored.
Image via nivea.com.au
Nivea